TRENTON — Federal prosecutors have escalated their criminal investigation into allegations that Gov. Chris Christie’s aides created traffic jams as political payback, subpoenaing his re-election campaign and the state Republican leadership.

The subpoenas seek documents related to the closure of traffic lanes near the George Washington Bridge, said attorney Mark Sheridan, who represents the Christie for Governor organization and the Republican State Committee.

The subpoenas were disclosed yesterday, the day the Republican governor’s campaign announced it had hired the Washington, D.C., law firm Patton Boggs in the case. Sheridan works for the firm and is general counsel for the state Republican committee.

A state legislative committee investigating the traffic jams also has issued a subpoena to the Christie campaign.

“The campaign and the state party intend to cooperate with the U.S. attorney’s office and the state legislative committee and will respond to the subpoenas accordingly,” Sheridan said.

Weinberg, a Democrat, said the lawmakers have not been asked to suspend their investigation. Documents from an original batch of subpoenas by the Assembly transportation committee caught the attention of federal authorities.

The federal subpoenas are due Feb. 5.

The state committee subpoenas must be returned Feb. 3.

Federal prosecutors refused to comment. Christie, in Camden to talk about a school dinner program, left without taking any questions.

The traffic lanes were closed for four days in September, creating traffic gridlock in Fort Lee.

Some of Christie’s aides initially said the closures were part of a traffic study, but emails and text messages turned over to legislators suggest it may have been a message to the town’s Democratic mayor for not endorsing Christie.

Four people close to Christie have been fired or resigned as the scandal has unfolded, including Christie’s two-time campaign manager, Bill Stepien.